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Thank you I found your article very comforting and the scriptures you pointed out re baptism are very clear. I was not raised as a Christian, but became a believer when I was about 38 years old and was baptised in a Baptist church. I
now believe in baptismal regeneration and baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
I once read an article on the internet that said I should be baptised again as I did not hold the correct view when I was baptised. I find this a little worrisome .I believe my baptism to be valid. What is your view?

Thank you for sharing your pilgrimage. Baptism is God’s action. Thus, it is not about the personality of the pastor or the name of the church. If you were baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, then you have Biblical baptism. See Matthew 28. In other words, were you baptized into the confession of the Holy Trinity? For this reason, the historic church confesses the Creed with baptism. What we call the Apostles’ Creed is a baptismal confession of the Christian Faith. The Nicene Creed was built upon the foundation of this Creed. “As we are baptized, so we worship; as we worship, so we believe.”—Basil of Caesarea (329-379)

hello dear brother in Christ, my name is Jesus Corona from Yuma AZ. I have a question for you, how does the old law of the first born (num 3:11-13, 40-49) work in light of Christ, how does Jesus redeem lots of people if he’s only 1 person. the old law demanded that the Levites had to be the same, in number, as that of the first born in the country, I don’t get the Christology there, I now he’s the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, but when it comes to this law I’m a little confused, can you please explain?

Good question. First, in Exodus 13, Yahweh declares to Moses, “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn.” In Exodus chapter 13, the instructions given to Moses are temporarily in effect by which the first-born belongs to God being set apart, that is, consecrated/sanctify/make holy to perform priestly and ritual functions for the family. The temporary nature of this instruction is seen later in verses 12 and 13 in which Moses writes, “When Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, you shall set apart to Yahweh all that first opens the womb.” Furthermore, Moses says, “Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand Yahweh brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Yahweh killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to Yahweh all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’”

Later in Numbers 3 and 8 we see the Levites supplanting the first-born. The Levites are given to Aaron and his sons instead of the first-born to help with the priestly duties. Moses writes, “And after that the Levites shall go in to serve at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering. For they are wholly given to Me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for Myself. For all the firstborn among the people of Israel are Mine, both of man and of beast. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for Myself, and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel” (Numbers 8:15–18).

Regarding Numbers chapter 3, the first-born in the priestly service found in Exodus chapter 13 is foundational. Instead of the first-born assisting with the rituals now the Levites assist at the Tabernacle. Of course, the chapter notes that if there are more first-born males than there are Levites, then a redemption prices is to be paid to Aaron and his sons instead of assisting in the sacred rituals. Furthermore, we must understand that there are typically two different Hebrew words used for redeeming. First, there is the Hebrew verb “padah” which means to ransom for a set price. Second, there is the Hebrew verb “ga’al” which means to ransom for a set price with the nuance of being kin to the one who is being ransomed which of course points more clearly to the mystery of the incarnation. Christ acts as our Kinsman Redeemer who is paying the ransom price to free us from slavery to sin, death, and the devil. In the personal union of the two natures, according to His human nature He dies and according to His divine nature He is life who gives life. His blood sanctifies and His flesh vivifies. In this way, Jesus redeems humanity although He is one person.

However, in Numbers chapter 3 the Hebrew verb is “padah” and not “ga’al.” In addition, the ransom price is not redeeming one from sin, death, or the devil. Instead, the ransom price is being paid to redeem the first-born from the ritual service at the Tabernacle when there is not a Levite to take one’s place. The instruction is given to the people of Israel so that they will not be like Pharaoh who refused to listen to the Word of God and lost his first-born son; rather, they will listen to the Word of God and keep their first-born son. With the act of paying the ransom price, the children are taught God’s Word hearing of the great exodus from Egypt when Pharaoh refused to listen to God’s word. The emphasis is placed upon the actions of God to deliver the Israelites and claim them as His own people who are to serve Him in holiness.

You are most welcome! We must understand that idolatry is false worship, that is, a false way to approach God based upon self-chosen methods that do not have God’s Word of institution or promise of the forgiveness of sins.